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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com